"“A rollicking spy caper in corsets. . . . This witty romp will delight fans of historical fiction as well as mystery lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review of Palace of Spies
As a lady in waiting in King George’s London court, Peggy has survived a forced betrothal, royal scandals, and an attempt or two on her life. And now she has a new problem: her horrible fiancé has returned to claim her! To save her neck, or at least her hand in marriage, Peggy joins forces with her cousin Olivia and her sweetheart, Matthew. But if she doesn’t play her cards right, her career as courtier and spy might come to an end at the bottom of the river Thames . . ."
Some background info on Dangerous Deceptions: Dangerous Deceptions is the second book in the series and the sequel of Palace of Spies. Now, it has been a while since I'd read Palace of Spies, so my memory is a bit fuzzy (okay, more like blank), so I read my own review (which must had been written while I was sugar-high, because it is so terrible) and remember that the book is incredibly similar to Waistcoats & Weaponry. Just without the fancy weapons and supernatural forces.
Dangerous Deceptions starts off slowly to my disappointment. Thankfully, it picks up around the 1/3 mark of the book. It gets really hilarious and and serious at the same time. (So it is sort of contradicting, but does that really matter?) I can't talk about the ending. I can't talk about the ending. It is big. Seriously. (But it doesn't end in a cliffhanger. Just an emotional cliffhanger. Personal cliffhanger for Peggy.)
Now that I watch Agent Carter, I seriously can't stop imagining Hayley Atwell as Peggy. Seriously. I just can't.
Peggy is a strong character. She is confused and she is lost. She is angry and she is definitely willing to kick someone if they upset her. She is tactical and she is sometimes an idiot (who isn't?) at some parts of the book. She is a good spy (must had come from her father), and she is delightfully hilarious sometimes. There are some moments I just like to reread again and again. (Unfortunately, I can't, because that copy I had in my hands belongs to the library. Terrible. I know, terrible. And I already said it many times that I'm too poor to buy a copy.)
(There is this quote I really want to post, but I'm afraid it is pure spoilers. Poo.)
Matthew and Peggy's romance takes the backseat in this race to stop the Jacobites. It is a shame for it to be... not as forward, but it is also refreshing to play the espionage game (with Peggy's cousin's help) straight and up front.
I also want to make a note on the history of Dangerous Deceptions. It has to do with Mistress Henrietta Howard, who is the mistress (duh) to (then) Prince George. (Honestly, the author should had made a historical note, but she might do it at the end of the series. We'll see.) It is said that George did take Howard as his mistress, but instead of doing... you know what, they were play cards. (I don't know how this is relevant, but I just want to make a mention of this.) Also, Caroline (George's wife) had a reasonable relationship with Howard.
(I like doing history notes.)
Overall, Dangerous Deceptions is disappointing at some parts and lacking strength in the very same parts. Peggy remains impressive as usual (though Matthew falls behind). The history... Well, I'm not a big fan of that particular era, so I won't comment too much on that. Will I recommend? Maybe to those who like Waistcoats & Weaponry fans. After all, they are waiting for the fourth (and hopefully, final) book to be released.
Rating: Three out of Five
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